The Mansion
by AmeliaLoveHeart
Summary: Hello everyone! I’m not really new to the whole fanfiction thing, but this is my first one that I actually puplished. I hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

"Mai, Tea." He demanded, reading over case files.

"Yes sir." She said in a sarcastic tone, stomping over to the kitchen and prying open the tea leaves container.

Mai is officially graduated and is now living in a small apartment there in Shibuya, Oliver still emotionless as ever. It's been almost awkward between them; with both knowing about Mai's feelings towards Gene, they've hardly had a decent conversation since Naru decided to come back to Japan. Mai has tried to break the barrier that has grown between them by suggesting cases and making his tea maybe a little too sweet to hear him complain, but to no avail.

She lifts up the tray of tea and walks over to Naru on the couch, not even glancing over as he takes a cup and sips. She sighs and walks over to Lin to offer some. As per usual, he politely declined and continued working on his computer. She walked back to the couch opposite to Naru and sat as she placed the tray on the coffee table in front of them.

_Once again, silence.. S_he gently lifted her cup to her lips, glancing over to Naru as he scribbled on his notepad. He catches her stare and she quickly looks away. He puts his cup down and opens his mouth to speak, but is interrupted by the bell above the door.

"Hi hi~" A high-pitched voice rang through the quiet room as Mai smiled happily to be rid of the awkwardness. Naru closed his eyes and went back to his files.

"Aiyako!" The brunette stood and ran over to the red-head, giving her a high five.

"Hey there, shortie." A man with long blonde hair leaned out from behind Aiyako, waving and quickly holding Mai in a gentle chokehold as he ruffles her hair. Mai giggles, holding to the monk's arm to keep her balance.

Naru slamed his files shut out of frustration of the sudden noise. "Would you mind telling me why you're here?"

"What?" The monk let go of the giggly mess and stepped inside, smiling. "We can't visit our favorite narssisist without a reason?"

Naru's eyebrow twitched at that remark, but he decided to ignore it. He sighed and looked over to them; Mai wiping a tear from her eye, Monk's grin bright, Aiyako's arms crossed as her gentle smile directed right at him. He averted his eyes as he stood and walked to his desk, finding it difficult not to smile. He didn't have to come back, his brother was able to rest In peace. But he did. He came back to be with them. His friends.

Mai directed her gaze towards Naru, smiling even as his back was turned. Even though this past month has been rough for both of them, she still managed to find joy in his company. His and her other friends'; her new found family.

John is back in Australia training more in depth in the art of exorcism and Masoko is always busy with her new reality show. So everyone that could be there, is.

Mai skipped over to Naru's desk as he sat and met her eyes. "Have any cases that interest you?" She asked happily.

Naru narrowed his eyes at her, then away and sat back. "A few, but I'm not sure they'll be worth it."

"As in.." Mai started.

"As in, they're either too far or too ridiculous." Naru finished, twirling a pen in his hand.

Monk walked over, leaning against the arm of the couch. "The more ridiculous, the better." He smirked.

Naru rolled his eyes and tossed the files onto the desk. Mai picked them up and started flipping through them. She noticed that his usual side notes weren't In Japanese anymore, but in English. She could make out a few words here and there, but she couldn't quite put them together. Monk noticed her struggle and smirked even more.

"Hey, Naru, why don't you teach little Mai here some English to pass some time?" Mai flinched, narrowing her eyes at the grinning blonde as she mentally cursed him.

"No way." Naru almost immediately replied, resting his cheek on his knuckles. Mai sighed in relief. "This dummy can't even say my name right, let alone learn a whole language."

This sent a jab right through Mai's chest as she clenched her fist. "Very funny." She hissed.

"Really?" Naru teased with one eye open. "I thought I was a humorless jerk, who was good for nothing except making your life miserable." He couldn't help but smirk as he saw how red Mai's face got from anger.

"You are!" She growled as she snatched the teacup off of his desk with a huff. "You don't deserve my tea, Sir British." She did a mocked curtsy as she stomped into the kitchen, both Aiyako and Monk were laughing hysterically. Even Lin couldn't help but chuckle at this. It was as if things were back to normal; the two bickering and mocking each other.

Naru closed his eyes, reverting back to his usual poker face. Aiyako walked over and lifted the files to herself, reading over the cases' details. "Some of these are simple cases. 'Hearing voices,' 'doors slamming..' nothing too interesting. Are these all you have?" She looked at the dark haired teen in confusion.

He shakes his head. "I'm just organizing for right now, I have quite a few that are of higher difficulty if you'd like to look at those." He pulled out a drawer under his desk full to the brim with files.

The Shrine Maiden shook her head, placing the papers back on his desk. "That's fine." Her smile grows weary as she sits on the couch. Monk starts rambling on about who knows what.

Mai leans against the door frame of the kitchen, arms crossed and pouting. But finds herself smiling once again. She may have lost her first love, but at least she has her friends; her family. Family...the word she's hardly known; being an only child of parents who passed away before she was even a teenager. But now...

"Now that everyone's here, why don't we take a case?" Monk blurted, excitedly.

Naru just pointed to the file as he takes out a book. "Have at it." Now that he's found his brother's body and knows he passed on peacefully, he doesn't really care which case to take. This is just something to pass time.

Monk happily takes the file and flips to the last pages. "Haunted mansion, figures in garden, voices in a bedroom..."

Mai slowly walks over, peeking over his arm to read the papers. "The haunted mansion sounds interesting."

"Yeah, I think that the most interesting one on this list." The monk said calmly, turning to Naru who was now engulfed in his book. "What do you think, sir boss?" Naru just nodded, flipping a page.


	2. Chapter Two

**Thursday, April 2**

**2:00 pm**

Mai gazes out the window of the car as they pull into the driveway of the mansion. It was a beautiful building; well taken care of despite its age. The round-about in front is well paved with decorative white and pale stones to compliment the brown and red brick of the home. The garden is well pruned and thriving. As they park and step out, they're greeted with sweet smells of roses and freshly cut grass. Not a cloud in the sky. _How can a house this gorgeous be haunted? _

A man in a suit emerges from the front door and greets them with a bow. "Welcome to the Kyuske Manor, it is a pleasure to meet you." The others bow in respect.

Naru scans the scenery; paths weaving through the garden, there seems to be a tree farm of sorts off to the side. The suited man offers them inside out of the summer's heat, to which they gratefully accepted and followed him in. Naru tracking slowly behind, still analyzing. His eyes wander to Mai, who seems to be doing the same thing in a less serious attitude of course. She smiled as she took in the beauty of the atmosphere. _Something seems off..._

They were lead into the main hall. "The Kyuske Manor has been passed down for generations; the youngest currently lives here, but refuses to come to the house itself."

"Why's that?" Naru asked, in a serious yet soft tone as they followed the man through to the main living area.

"He says he's had bad experiences here, things such as feeling something is watching him or even touching him." He gestures for the group to sit on the elegant brown-beige couches that contrast the red-white of the walls. "About a year ago, when he last visited to say his final goodbyes to his grandfather, he had fallen down the main stairway. Insisting that someone had shoved him down. We questioned all the staff that day, but nobody confessed."

"And so he refuses to return until it is cleared of whatever's haunting this house, I assume?" Naru crosses his legs and holds his chin with his thumb and index finger.

The man nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

"Is there any history of negativity among family?" Mai asked softly. Naru looked at her, then back at the butler.

"Not to my knowledge. However..." he seemed reluctant in his next sentence. "There is a long history of tragic deaths in the family, some of which in this very building."

"May I ask how they died?" Naru was intrigued now.

"There have been quite a few murders and assassinations, but most of the family deaths are of hereditary diseases."

A woman silently brought them some cold drinks and placed them onto the coffee table. Upon closer inspection, Naru saw that the maid had a few scars randomly tracing her arms as her sleeves lifted slightly. He glanced back at the butler who had a concerned look on his face. He analyzed him closer and spotted a single scar just above the collar of his shirt on his neck.

"Is anyone else living in this house at the moment, or is it just you and the other servents?" Naru felt that it was necessary to gather all the information that he can. _There's something more than just a haunting here..._

"I'm afraid the youngest son is the only member, other than his mother, that is currently living." The butler looks down.

"I see." Naru glances around the room. Various relics and paintings decorate the unused space. Most of which are fake. He stood. "Would you mind showing us around? I'd like to get a feel for the house before we start setting up."

"Yes, of course sir. Right this way. We will begin with the first floor, naturally." He lead the way as the others followed.

**3:00 pm**

"We'll set up base here." Naru said as they entered a study room on the second floor. "Thank you for showing us around, Mr..."

"Just call me John, there's no need to be formal. You're guests here." He smiles as he bowed. "Would you like help setting up?"

"No, thank you." Naru said. "We can handle it ourselves."

"Very well. Dinner will be served in three hours, we will call for you then. I hope you all enjoy your stay. I shall have rooms prepared for you." He turns away and walks down the hall.

As soon as he's out of sight, Naru plans out where everything will go and ushers for everyone to follow.

Monk walks by him, whispering "Did you see that too? All those scars?"

Naru nodded, turning to Mai who was admiring the art on the walls as she walks. He turned back as they made their way down the main stairs.

Mai started down the stairs. **You don't belong here.** Her eyes widened as she felt a sudden shove on her back. She screamed as her body fell forward. Monk quickly turned and grabbed her hand, bringing her to his chest as they both rolled down the steps. The others worriedly raced after them as they hit the bottom floor, monk landing on his back.

"Mai..you okay?" He groaned.

"Yeah.." She lay on his chest, back aching and her tank top torn from the monk trying to get a hold of her. Lin, Naru, and Aiyako help them up.

"Your back.." Aiyako gently placed a hand on Mai's back as she flinched. "There's a huge hand print on it." Mai held herself to keep her shirt from falling as monk put his button up overshirt around her shoulders.

"Whoever's here, they aren't shy." Naru concludes, looking up at the top of the stairs and narrowing his eyes.

**6:00 pm**

A knock sounded through the room as the team had just finished setting up. "Dinner is served." Naru stood up straight after connecting wires together. And nods to the others as they walk out together.

Naru and Lin made sure to stay near Mai, as Aiyako stayed by Takigawa for personal safety. They scanned the walls dozens of times over as they walked.

While making their way down the steps, Naru was fairly close to Mai, their hands briefly touching once and she pulled her arms to hold herself as some heat rose in her face. He glanced at her, then back down.

The servents opened the French doors that lead into the dinning area and Mai's face glimmered at the extravagant scenery in front of her. They walked in and took their seats as the cooks and servers elegantly placed their meals before them. The group were taken aback at the beautiful presentation of everything, there was even a violinist off the the side playing a beautiful and soft melody.

"I hope you enjoy." The chef smiled brightly and bowed as he headed back into the kitchen. Naru managed to get a glimpse of faint scars that traced his face and neck.

"Is it just me, or do all the servents here have scars?" Monk whispered worriedly.

Naru glared at the doors as they closed. "Something's not right here."

Mai adjusted the oversized shirt so it wouldn't get dirty and started picking at the food. "I'm almost not hungry..."

"What do you suppose we do about it?" Aiyako said, looking at Naru.

Naru looked around the room. "For now, we just need to collect data. No one is to be alone." He looked at Mai who nodded. "You'll stay with Aiyako tonight, naturally. Takigawa, you'll stay with Lin and I."

**6:50 pm**

Mai, with the help of Aiyako, set up video cameras in the main hall, stairs, and the grand-bedroom. While Naru, Lin, and Monk set up mikes and thermal cameras in the dinning area, living area, and a few of the bedrooms. Including their own, just to be safe.

They met back up at the base and tested that everything was working. Naru and Lin conducted some research of the household.

"Appearently, this family has existed for hundreds of years." Lin announced. "The furthest recorded member being Sir Haruki Kyuske. It says he was the noblest man in Japan at the time, building this mansion so he could essentially show off his wealth." He muttered something under his breath that no one but Naru could hear, who just shook his head. "His death wasn't recognized until someone found his skeleton around twenty years later. He was found in the garden with a sword through his chest."

"It took them twenty years to find him in that garden?" Monk exclaimed. "It can't be that big."

"His wife and two of his three sons were found dead as well." Lin continued. "They were found in their bedrooms with holes in their skulls. Possibly murdered in their sleep." He scrolls down as Naru leaned on the desk next to him. Mai sat in the arm chair by the wall, holding herself. "The third son seemed to have gotten away with minor injuries, as he was found in the main hallway with, presumably, the killer lying dead before him."

"An assassination." Naru said softly, holding his chin.

Lin nodded. "That child grew to become the new homeowner and married a common woman, having quite a few children. Some of which perished before adulthood. It seems to be a continuous pattern of members of the family living in this house and dying here too."

Mai looks down, holding herself tighter. "That's terrible.."

Naru glances over at Mai, then to Lin's screen. "It looks like only the male members are the ones who die though."

Lin nodded, looking at Naru. "You still want to continue with this job?"

Naru thought for a moment, then nods as he walks over to Mai and hands her something. "Keep this on you at all times. It's not much, but it'll keep you safe."

Mai held out her hands as Naru dropped a small pendent in her palms. Lin shot up. "What are you doing, Naru? Your father gave you that so-"

"I know, Lin." Naru interrupted, not even looking a him. "Out of all of us, Mai is the most sensative to spirits and will most likely be attacked." He looks at her with a bit of sadness in his eyes, he couldn't imagine this without her. "It's only logical to give this to her for the time being." He turns back to Lin who sits down and sighs.

"You'd better not regret this." Lin muttered.

"I won't." He walked back to Lin and sat down and went back to talking about the history of the case. Mai stared at the pendant, a slight blush rising in her cheeks. It was shaped like a teardrop and had a dark jewel in it. There wasn't really anything special about it, it looks like something she could've gotten at a jewelry store. She smiled nonetheless, putting it around her neck. _A gift from Naru.._ She looks at him, smiling as he did his best not to look at her.

**8:00 pm**

After they've done all the research they could, the team decided to go to bed and see if the cameras and mikes pick up anything during the night.

Mai and Aiyako slip into their pajamas, in the bathroom since they had put cameras in their bedrooms, and sat on their beds. Naru, Lin, and Monk do the same. The butler comes to bid them goodnight and tells them the schedule for their meals the following day.

Mai stretched, plopping herself onto the bed with a yawn. She smiled as she toyed with the pendent.

"So~" Aiyako teased, leaning on her arm. "Your first gift from Mr. Hot-Shot himself. How does it feel?" She smirked.

Mai looked away, blushing. "It's not like that. He says it's just to protect me, that's all." She sighed. "Besides, I'll probably have to give it back once this job is over. It seemed pretty important to Lin that Naru had this..." She looks at the jewel; it's nothing more that that, a jewel. "But what exactly is so important about it?"

"That's what I'd like to know." She scoots closer and gently takes a hold of it. She scans it closely. "I've never seen this in my life. Maybe..." she turns it around and there was a hex engraved in the metal on the back. She flinched, then smiled. "Now I see. On the surface, it just looks like an ordinary necklace. But there's a protective hex on the bottom."

Mai shot up. "A hex?! Wait, you mean like the ones Ms. Ubusuna was casting?"

Aiyako shook her head. "There's such a thing as a good hex, Mai. They're mostly used in witchcraft." Mai sat back down as Aiyako gently took the pendent again. "Look." She grabbed her cellphone and pulled up a picture of a harmful hex. "This is similar to the ones she used." She flipped the pendent. "And this is the hex here. You see the difference?"

Mai nodded. They both had pentagons encircled with symbols, but the protection hex had extra lines and symbols surrounding it. "So, Naru does witchcraft too?"

"I doubt it." Aiyako gently let go of the pendent as she sat back.

"Oh wait, when I first started working for him, he said something about his father being a ghost hunter too." She thought for a moment. "Maybe..his mother is a witch? She didn't look like one when we met her."

Aiyako yawns, smiling as she lays down. "Looks can be deceiving."

Mai lays down as well, smiling as she held the pendent to her chest. "Tell me about it.." she reaches over and clicks off her lamp as she closes her eyes. _Gene..._


	3. Chapter Three

_Cold. It's so cold. It's getting hard to breathe._

Mai shivered under her covers, curling up. Her back starting to sting where the bruise lay. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing Aiyako's body breathing swiftly in the bed beside her. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, glancing around the softly moonlighten room. She looked out the window in her half conscious state and saw small lights floating up. She got up, slowly walking towards the window and opened the shear curtains.

"It's those spirit lights.." she whispered to herself. "There's so many."

"One for each spirit that resides here." A voice said softly. She turned and saw a young boy standing next to her.

"Are you a spirit here too?" The boy nodded, looking up at her. "What's your name?"

The boy took a moment, then shook his head. "I don't remember...it hurts to remember." He held his head, looking down as he shut his eyes tight. "Why does it hurt so much? Mommy, make it stop. Make it stop!" The boy's voice became distorted as his flesh quickly turned white and red liquid covered his hands.

Mai gasped, holding her hands to her mouth as the boy's body faded to bone and dust. She backed away as the scenery changed and she was outside. She held herself as she slowly walked. _It's just another one of my dreams.._ she told herself.

She screamed as she tripped over something in the darkness. Pushing herself up, she glanced down and saw another boy who lie dead under her leg. She quickly backed away, breathing heavily as she sat in the grass. She looked around her and saw several bodies of children. _It's just a dream. It's just a dream! _**It's not a dream.** She gasped as a rope was tied around her neck, getting tighter as she struggled to get free. Swinging her arms at the figure behind her. The children slowly rose from their broken and dead state and crawled towards her, moaning in pain.

She tried to scream, but her throat wouldn't let her. She kicked her legs out as tiny hands grabbed onto her. She struggled as much as she could, but it only made it worse as her sight was slowly fading. Suddenly, she could breathe again. She fell forward and coughed as she held her neck. She looked behind her and saw a familiar figure standing there with a sympathetic expression. _Naru? No.. _"Gene.."

He knelt down to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and mouthed something. His eyes glistening in the moonlight.

"What?" She looks at him, her eyes scanning his to make sure it was him. "Gene, I-"

He stopped her, helping her to stand by taking her hands in his. He spoke again, but she still couldn't hear him. Voices started sounding all round them, some screaming in agony and some muttering curses on their families. The garden disappearing into black. It all became too much and Mai covered her ears. It suddenly stopped and her eyes grew wide.

**Wake up.**

She jolted up, panting heavily as she immediately reached for her neck. No sign of indentions from the rope. She quickly got up and rushed to the bathroom on the other side of their bedroom and looked in the mirror. No bruise either. She sighs and sat on the lided toilet.

Aiyako rushes in. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just had a bad dream, that's all." She smiled up at her.

"One of those?"

She nodded, standing up to lean over the sink. Without a word, she knew what Aiyako wanted to know. "I saw the children." She held her head as she wiped tears away. "They were crying, all of them. It was terrible.." She pauses, then looks at her. "I saw Gene too."

"Gene? I thought he passed on."

"I did too. I need to tell Naru..if Gene's still here, that means there's something he needs.." She looks at herself in the mirror, the dark circles evident that she hardly slept well if at all.

**7:00 am**

The butler came to get them for their first meal. Mai hurried out with Aiyako to the guys' room as they walk out. "Naru!" She looks up at him, seeing his eyes had bags under them as well.

"What is it?" He looks at her, scanning her face.

She held herself. "I had another one of my dreams. It was about the children." Her eyes started to water as she thought back to their screams.

"Calm down, Mai. What about them?" He asked sternly.

"They were crying out, they were hurting." She looks at him. "Also..I saw Gene."

"What?" He looks at her, then thinks to himself. "Why would he be here?"

"I don't know, it's startled me too. I haven't seen him since we said goodbye.." She looks down. "What if..he couldn't pass on?"

"I don't see any reason he wouldn't be able to." Even he knew that was a lie. He knew that Mai had feelings for Gene. This made him upset; his brother possibly couldn't pass on because of Mai. But also..

"I'm sorry.." Mai blurted, looking down. He looked at her, then away. Patting her shoulder as he walked by.

"Worry about it later, let's go eat." He said, maybe a bit too coldly even for him.

Monk gently held Mai as they walked, trying to reassure her with Aiyako. Lin walked with Naru quietly, sensing his emotions stirring up and handing him a talisman. Naru took it and put it neatly into his pocket as he tried to calm down.

**7:30 am**

Mai sat in a desk chair, listening to audio from the dinning area. She tried to distract herself from her thoughts by watching the videos closely. So far, nothing unusual.

"I've got something." Lin said, unplugging his headphones and playing the audio aloud. There's static until the clock struck midnight and voices echoed in the grand bedroom.

"It doesn't sound like they're saying anything in particular." Naru said, watching the video. "However, there's a strong shadow in the room." He glared at the screen, the figure didn't move until it disappeared at around 6 am. "It doesn't tell us anything though, not more than we already know at least."

Mai sighed, then glanced back at her screen and screamed. Jumping back and falling off her chair. The others rushed over and found a horrid face right in front of the camera. It was smiling grimly and blood poured over its face. They fast forward to see how long it stayed there when it slowly backs away and leaves the room at 5 am.

"That's definitely not creepy." Monk says, shivering. "It looks like it was just a mask though. What room was that in?"

"T-the dinning room.." Mai tried to calm herself down as Aiyako helped her to stand.

They rewinded and saw that the figure came from the kitchen, holding a butcher knife. His back was turned to the camera and his body seemed distorted. It shifted and twitched unnaturally, touching the knife to the arms and legs. It suddenly turned and sped to the camera, tilting its head and breathing heavily. It just stared at the camera until it dropped the knife and left the room.

Naru glared at the now black screen, then at Mai who refused to look at him or the screen.

"This is either a possession or one of the staff members going insane." Lin said, trying to keep his composure even though this sight freaked him out just as much as it did everyone else.

"I can believe both." Monk shivered. "That's gotta be the creepiest thing I've seen, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight because of that."

"Once again, I emphasize that no one is to be alone at any time during this job." Naru announced, looking at Mai. "Did anything else happen last night?"

Mai thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think so."

"It doesn't look like you got enough sleep last night, are you absolutely sure nothing happened?" Naru's voice slightly wavered as he crossed his arms.

"Take a look at yourself." She blurted. "You've got circles under your eyes too." She mocked him by crossing her arms as well.

They glared at each other for a solid moment before Naru closed his eyes and turned away without saying anything else. She stuck out her tongue at his back as Monk and Aiyako laugh a little. "I swear, you two act like an old married couple." Aiyako smiles.

Naru rolled his eyes. "I'd feel sorry for anyone who agrees to marry that idiot."

Mai glared at him. "Excuse me? I'm not the one constantly nagging everyone on how to do their job." She growled. "At least I can take in criticism and use it to my advantage!"

"Whoa, Mai, calm down.." Monk smiled nervously.

Naru leaned against the desk, arms still crossed and his eyes closed. "Can't take insults very well though."

Mai seethed with anger. "That's all you can say?! I'm sick of this! Why can't you ever just..argh!!" She scratched her head out of frustration. "I hate you, Naru! You selfish jerk!" With that, she turned and ran out the door slamming it behind her.

Naru quickly turned and opened the door. "Mai!" He looked to either side of the door and cursed under his breath as Aiyako and Monk ran one direction. Lin gave Naru a stern look. That was too much, even for him. Without a word they both went the other direction.

**8:20 am**

Mai leaned against a wall, panting and holding her chest. She clenched her teeth in anger as she stomped. _That jerk! He just had to open his mouth! Why can't he even take a joke?! _She looks around, realizing that she had gone off on her own without a set place. A sudden strike of fear rose in her chest as she slumped her shoulders and held herself. _Uh oh.. _She turned around and slowly started walking the way she came, scanning the area as she thinks back to the video. _I really shouldn't have done that..what if he's here? _She trembled as she walked, afraid to speak. _Naru...help..._

-ooo-

"Mai!" Naru called, looking aimlessly in rooms and the hallways with Lin. "Damnit, where'd you go? Mai!" He was getting more and more worried. The pendent he gave her only wards off spirits. That thing in the video was a living person, and that person could be anyone and anywhere.

"Naru!" Lin snapped, pointing down the hallway. _Mai's shoe. _He ran to it and picked it up, looking around and scanning it for anything. There wasn't any blood, but the side table in the hall was knocked over. "There was a struggle." Lin panted.

"Damnit!" Naru punched the wall, holding her shoe clutched in his hand. He looked down the hallway. "MAI!"


	4. Chapter Four

**I just want to say a big thanks to CaitHawke4Ever for being supportive. I honestly think you'll be very happy with where this story is going. Much love!**

**-000000000000000000000-**

**12:00 pm**

Naru paced back and forth in the living area, thinking over all the possible places she could've been taken to. They've already checked the majority of the house, including the attic. They told Naru that the cellar had been locked for decades and the keys were hidden away where even the servents don't know where they are. He cursed every word he spoke to her that led up to this.

"Man, he really feels terrible about this.." Monk said nervously.

"Wouldn't you be upset if your girlfriend ran off in a haunted mansion and got kidnapped?" Aiyako sighed and flinched when she caught Naru glaring at her. He decided ignore them and looked at Lin.

"Anything?" He tried to keep his voice calm, but it sounded like a demand behind his frustration.

"I'm afraid not." Lin said sadly as he reviewed the camera footage. "She was last seen here, running down the stairway and off to the opposite hall of the dinning area. The mikes are too far away to hear if anything happened after that."

"It doesn't look like she went outside, but there's evidence that points to her being taken." Naru cursed under his breath as he sat down, tapping his foot. He looked at Mai's shoe that sat on the coffee table in front of him. _Where are you.._

_-ooo-_

Mai groans, opening her eyes and looking around. _Where... _she flinched as she felt a sharp pain in her head. She curled up, trying to hold herself but her arms were shackled by the wrists behind her back. She panicked, trying to free herself. Her yanking on the chains only hurt her more as he entire body ached. She gave up after a minute of struggling and scanned over the room. It wasn't dark, but it wasn't the brightest room either.

From certain details, including the air draft and water stains on the walls, she could tell she was in a room underneath a building. She sighed, bringing her legs close to her chest. _Naru will find me..he always does..yeah, just like he found me in that field during the Kasai investigation. _She did her best to reassure herself, but there was a nagging feeling in her chest that made her burst into tears.

_Naru...please...I'm so sorry..._

**12:30 pm**

Naru had received a map of the building that included every single room on each floor. He went through and marked off everywhere they've checked. "This just leaves the basement.." he muttered to himself as Lin and the others walked with him to the hallway where the doors are. Mai's shoe in hand, he walked up to the door and searched it. It was designed like all the other doors in the building, but locked with a chain. "Lin." He announced.

Lin nodded, holding up the chain cutters they had gotten from the garden shed and pried them open. As soon as they were off, Monk kicked open the doors and they all filed in. Flashlights in hand, they searched the cellar. Calling her name, but to no avail.

"She's not here." Aiyako said, shakingly. She looked at Naru who just glared at the walls. Searching for anything that could lead to her.

"I believe there's one more place left to look. However, I'm not quite sure how someone could get there.." the butler said, catching their attention.

Naru walked up to him with anger burning in his eyes. "Where?" He demanded.

The butler looked at him nervously. "There's a room that was sealed off by one of the young master's ancestors. It's on the first floor in the west wing." He blurted.

Naru walked past him and the others hurried after him. The butler adjusted his coat and tie, a slight smirk escaping his lips.

-ooo-

"..ai."

She lay on the ground, her vision blurry and hearing foggy.

"...ai.."

Her vision slowly adjusted as she regained consciousness.

"Mai.." the voice finally coming in clear as she awoke. Her eyes fixated on the figure's face. Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly.

"Naru?!" She suddenly got dizzy and fell back down.

"So we meet like this again." He said, his smile soft and reassuring. He gently moved her hair from her eyes as she looked up at him.

"You..you're not Naru." She said softly, forcing her dizziness away as she slowly sat up to meet his eyes. "Eugene..why are you still here?"

"I'm afraid I still have one more thing left before I can move on." He said sadly, placing a hand on her cheek. "Are you alright? That was a pretty big fight you put on."

"I..I'm fine." She softly takes his hand away from her face, looking at him. "What do you mean? We were able to find you..and your murderer turned herself in..isn't that enough?"

He smiled, looking away as an image appeared below them. "He really cares about you."

She follows his gaze, seeing Naru and the others running through a hallway. "He sure has a funny way of showing it." She forced a laugh as a tear ran down her cheek.

He looks at her, gently wiping away the tear. "Mai, I-" He was cut off by her hugging him.

"I loved you..Gene, I fell in love with you from the very beginning.." she cried into his chest. He smiled, shaking his head as he softly pushed her back.

"Mai, listen to me.." he sighed, smiling sadly at her. "You're an amazing girl. I would've given anything to have been able to meet you. And, believe me when I say that I would've fallen in love with you too." He looks down. "But I..we can't turn back the clock, no matter how much we want to." He gave her a sad smile. "Besides, if you really look at it, the person you actually fell in love with is Naru. I was only the chain that binded you two together." His voice failed a few times, but he managed to keep himself composed.

Mai held onto his hand, trying her best not the cry. "I'm sorry.." she couldn't say anymore than that, she couldn't face him anymore.

He gently lifted up her chin. "Hey, look at me. It's okay. Everything is going to be fine." He smiled, then looks down at the group as they search a wall for its hollow spots. "It looks like our time is almost up."

Mai looks up at him. "Gene..." He gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"Give Oliver a big hug for me?" A hint of tears started swelling in his eyes.

"But, what was your final wish?"

He just smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Kissing her head. His words muffled as the team took giant hits to the wall.

**Make Oliver smile again.**


	5. Chapter 5

**1:00 pm**

As they dug into the wall and pulled out the bricks, it caved in and revealed a room. A strong wave of rot and mold exploded in the noses, forcing them to gag and cough. When the dust cleared, they stepped in.

"Mai?" Naru scaned the room until he spotted her. She was tied up with chains behind her back and around her feet. She was covered in cuts and bruises. "Mai!" He hurries to her, kneeling down and lifting her up from the ground and onto his lap. The others filing and sighing in relief.

She slowly opened her eyes, seeing Naru and smiles. Her voice shaking and soft as she said the first thing that came to her mind. "Hi.."

He couldn't help but chuckle, placing a hand on her cheek as he wiped away a stray tear and whispered. "That's all you can say? Dummy.." his voice wavered as his eyes stayed locked with hers.

"Like you could do any better." She coughed, smiling weakly up at him.

He hummed, pretending to think. "How about 'you found me.' or 'my hero.'"

She gave a slight laugh, looking up at him. "Narcissistic until the end." They just looked at each other as if they hadn't in years; Naru gently caressing her cheek as she curls in his hold. He slowly sits her up and leans behind her, prying open the rusted cuffs around her wrists and freeing her. Mai sat back as he did the same for her ankles.

He looks at her, clearing his throat as he held out her shoe. She laughed a bit, letting him slid the shoe onto her foot. _It's like the old Cinderella stories.._ she blushed, looking up at him as she spotted some pink on his cheeks despite the darkness of the room.

"Hey..Naru?" He looks at her, then shakes his head as he recognized the look of guilt on her face.

"We can talk later. For now, let's worry about getting you-" he was cut off by a sharp pain across his back, making him cry out as he slumped forward.

"Naru!" They all shouted, looking behind them and Lin quickly standing in the way of the next swing of a blade. It cut cut across his arms as laughter echoed.

"Aww, how cute. Little Romeo has come to find his Cinderella. Too bad it won't last very long." He snapped his fingers and a figure appeared behind Mai and a rope was tied around her neck, choking her. She tried to get the rope away, but it just kept getting tighter.

"Rin, Pyo, Toh, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" Aiyako shouted and the spirit disappeared. Mai coughed, trying to catch her breath as Naru held her.

"You okay?" He removes the rope and sheltered her in his arms, glaring at the man. She nodded, holding to him tightly.

Monk ran towards the man, throwing punches but he kept dodging and laughing. "You'll have to try harder than that!" He got a hold of Monk's arm and flipped him onto his back.

Lin made his way to him, summoning his shiki to slow him down as he tried striking the mans vital points. When it failed, Lin got hit by one of the spirits and fell backwards.

Mai hid her face in Naru's chest, quivering as he held her tighter. He kept looking around the room, searching for anything at this point.

**Let us help you.**

Her eyes widened, gently pushing away a bit from Naru as the necklace glowed. She and Naru glanced at the necklace, then at each other. He hesitated before nodding. "Just be careful.."

She slowly removed the necklace, placing it in Naru's hands as she stood. Aiyako looked at Mai who had her eyes closed. The temperature in the room steadily dropped.

_Okay._

Her body tensed as the spirit entered her, but she quickly relaxed and opened her eyes. The man tilted his head, but laughed as he ran towards her. "Looks like you haven't had enough!"

Without even moving a muscle, the man was sent flying across the room and let out a cry in agony as he hit the wall. He immediately laughed as his mask was shattered and it revealed a face full of scars. "I'll make you bleed!" He picked up the knife and threw it at her. She simply moved her head to the side and it stabbed into the wall.

She never spoke nor moved, but it seemed to drive the man crazy as he held his ears. Soft whispers surrounded the group, but the man scratched his head in frustration. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" He lunged at her once more and she simply stretched her arm out in front of her. As soon as her hand touched him, it sent a heat wave of sorts around them and he hit the wall again. This time, he seemed to have hit his head too hard and he didn't move again.

Mai's body started to fall as the spirit left her body. Naru caught her, stunned over what just happened. He'd never witnessed anything like that before.

"Was that..Mai just now?" Aiyako said with wide eyes.

"No." Lin said, walking over as he held his arm. "I've seen that before, however only a few times. It was a possession."

"But possessions happen all the time." Monk said confused.

"Right, but this was different. This was a consented possession." Lin said. "When someone gives a spirit permission to enter their bodies, depending on the person, their spiritual abilities are combined."

"So, either that was a really strong spirit, or Mai is capable of things even we could never dream of." Monk seemed excited. "Naru, you lucky dog."

He chose to ignore that last part and looked up at Lin. "The seemed a bit too easy despite all that effort you and Monk put in. How did that stop him?"

"He may have been insane, but he was still human." Lin said. "My guess is that he was persuaded by that killer's spirit, assuming he still resides here."

Naru looked at Mai as he stood and held her close. "Alright, let's get out of here." Lin nodded, gently taking Mai so Naru doesn't stress his wounds as they all walk out together. "Everything's packed?" He rubbed his head as Lin nodded, he hardly used any of his powers but he still felt exhausted. Maybe it was the stress and blood-loss.

As they walk out, the servents simply say their goodbyes with a bow. The team just glared at them and went to the car.

"Don't you think we should call for an ambulance?" Aiyako said sadly.

"Yeah, that'll be fine." Lin said, placing Mai on the soft grass and Naru sat next to her.

**Saturday, April 4**

**12:30 pm**

Mai was back in her apartment already, her cuts were only that and most had already healed overnight. Naru has given her the day off so she could rest from yesterday's case. She could do anything but that; she couldn't stop thinking about the case. It seemed so wrong.

She plopped onto her futon, sighing as she cuddled with one of her squishy stuffed animals. _And then there's Gene...he told me that his last wish is to make Naru smile, but how am I supposed to do that when I hardly know anything about him? _She sighed, curling up as she blushed. _Although.._she remembered seeing Naru's soft expressions and his arms around her. She squealed as she rolled back and forth on her futon with her stuffed animal. _That was so cute!! _

She sat up as she heard the doorbell ring. She slowly stood, letting the plush fall onto her futon. "Coming!" She opened the door and smiled as she saw her two friends. "Keiko! Michiru!" She laughed as she hugged them.

Naru was just walking up the steps as he saw Mai jump onto them with a big smile.

"Hey Mai!" They laughed. "You wanna go for karaoke tonight- whoa, what happened to you?!" Michiru exclaimed, holding Mai's arm that was still covered in bandages.

Mai smiled at bit. "I got into a bit of trouble at work. I'm totally okay though!" She smiled brightly, hearing footsteps on the other side of the hall. She glanced over, but didn't see anyone.

"Geez, that Naru guy is really pushing you over the edge. You'd come to school with all sorts of cuts and bruises, are you sure he's not doing anything he shouldn't be?" Her friend failed to whisper. "Handsome or not, I'll show him not to mess with us."

Mai laughed. "You and what army?"

"Me..and my army of spirits~" she forced her voice to distort a bit as a cat hoped onto the ledge and meows. She screamed and cling to Mai as they laughed.

"And I thought _I _was squeamish." She walked over and scratched the kitty's chin. "It's just Oliver."

Naru flinched, lifting a hand to his chin as heat rose in his cheeks. He leaned against the wall out of view and glanced around him, seeing a flower shop just across the street.

"Olever?" Her friend said, tilting her head.

"Wait, I thought pets weren't allowed here." The other crosses her arms.

She smiled as the kitten purred and nuzzles in her hand. "O-li-ver." She gently lifted the fur ball into her arms. "And, I know, but I couldn't just ignore this little guy." She heard footsteps again. "As for the karaoke night, I'm afraid I'll have to say no." She smiled sadly as her friends groaned.

"Why not? It's been so long since we hung out!" She whined.

Mai smiled, letting the cat go on the ground gently. "It's been a week, Michiru."

"I don't care! We need to hang out!" Her friends pouted.

"Sorry girls, but I really gotta get some rest. Not to mention I have to go food shopping soon anyway." She smiled, slowly walking back in as her friends sighed and said their goodbyes. She closed the door just as the cat ran in.

Mai stretched, then plopped onto her couch. _Make Naru smile... _she fell sideways onto her couch as she thought to herself. _How can I make him smile? _Her eyes drifted to her bookshelf, seeing her English Dictionary covered in dust and shot up. "That's it!"

About an hour later, there was another ring at Mai's doorbell. She took a last munch on her cookie as she dropped her pen and books beside her, standing and walking to the door. She opened the door and looked out as she saw a familiar face in unfamiliar clothes.

The boy wore a dark brown t-shirt covered by another brown flannel. His pants were a shade below black, as were his shoes. She glance up at his face, which was somewhat pink despite his pale skin. His hair out of its normal groomed state as if he had just ran his fingers through it before deciding to press the doorbell button.

"Naru?" She couldn't look away from him, stunned to see her boss standing in front of her in _normal _clothes.

He looks at her, then away as he held up a single flower. "For you."


	6. Chapter 6

**2:30 pm**

Naru sat on her couch, the flower placed in a small glass vase. It's blue petals shining in the sunlight. He looked next to him and saw the kitten peering up at him from the floor. He reached down and let the cat sniff and nuzzle against his hand as Mai walked over and placed a mug in front of him.

"Figures he'd warm up to you easier than he did me." She gave a small and awkward smile as she sat on the other side of the couch. She slowly pushed away the dictionary and notebook, hoping that he didn't see but knowing him he probably did.

The cat looked towards the bedroom, seeing the plushie and darted to it. Mai sipped her tea, her mind playing 20 questions as to why he could be here and what she should say. They haven't really been alone much other than when they're just sitting in the office, but even then Naru is always busy doing something and just ignores her whenever she tries to break the silence. She looks at the flower; it was just a blue poppy. They don't really hold any meaning other than their color, but the gesture itself sent Mai on a flustered rampage inside her mind.

"How are your arms?" Naru spoke as soft as he could, but it still startled her as she stammered to answer.

"T-they're fine. Most of the cuts are healed or scabbed over already." She held the cup to her lips, looking away then at him. "What about you; how's your back? The hospital released you quite early considering that big wound."

He leaned back against the couch, even slouching a bit. "It's fine. I still get waves of pain now and again, but the medicine helps."

"I see. And the stitches?" She gazed over his face, the dark circles fading but still present.

"They're there.." he sighed, looking around her apartment.

She nods, smiling awkwardly. _As usual, nothing to talk about._ She slowly put her cup down, taking in a breath as she was about to speak.

"I'm sorry." He said softly.

She looks at him, eyes wide. "What?"

His eyes were on the cup, then drifted to her. "I went too far again, and you got hurt because of my actions. For that, I apologize."

She froze, her eyes washing over his face as she processed what he said. She then pouted and looked away. "No." He flinched, watching her as she leaned toward him. "Argh! You did it again! I was just about to apologize and thank you for saving me, but no. Oliver Davis has to take the best moments for himself!" Her cheeks puffed from frustration.

His eyes studied her for a moment, heat rising in his face as he quickly shut his eyes and his body trembled. His hand covering his mouth. Hearing her say his full name sent a warm feeling through his body.

She froze, worried that he might be in pain. But scanned his face and blushed a bit. _He's laughing. _She quickly pouted. "What so funny?!"

He opened an eye, looking at her with a slight smile escaping his lips. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Amaze you? What's that supposed to mean?" She fought smiling back at him, her face heating up at a rapid rate.

"Just when I think I've figured you out, you switch up your emotions on me." He let out a laugh, looking at her. "Everyday, you come in with a new attitude. You have emotional patterns, but even those are randomized."

She just looks at him as he goes on, her face getting redder. She realizes that he's smiling right now, and she didn't even do anything. _He's smiling...because of me..that means.. _she looks away from him. "S-So what?"

"So, I know I'll always have something to look forward to when I wake up in the morning." Her face couldn't have gotten any more red as he leans over, his lips meeting her cheek for a brief moment before he sat back. The sight of her flustered made him smile.

Her hands immediately went to cover her cheek as she stared at him in shock. "N-N-Na-NaNa-" She stammered wildly, holding her face to hide it.

He just laughs openly. "Whoops, I think I broke you."

She stood and pointed at him. "H-hey! You can't just k-k-kiss me like that!"

"Oh? How do you suggest I do, then?" He stood, taking a step towards her as she stepped back until she hit the wall. She averted her eyes from him while he gently placed a hand on her cheek.

She closed her eyes tight, she didn't want to answer him, but at the same time she did. _It's all so sudden! I need a distraction, quick! _He softly lifted her chin, leaning down to her and their lips graze the others' as the doorbell rang. "Delivery for Miss Taniyama!"

Naru looked at her. Flushed completely red, her eyes slowly opened to see that he was the same way. Her hands had clung to his flannel without her realizing. They both just stood there, holding and staring at each other until someone finally moved. It wasn't clear who kissed who, and all they were thinking was to not let go as if they'd lose each other if they did.


	7. Capter 7

**5:50 pm**

The two sat on the couch together, Naru's arm around her as she leaned on his shoulder. Their fingers interlocked while a movie played on Mai's tv that hung on the wall.

After their little make-out session, Mai managed to bring herself to tell him about Gene's final wish. How she had spent so much time thinking about it and even showed him her half-written English poem she was trying to write for him. Of course, he pointed out that it needed some work. But he made sure to tell her that he was happy just being able to see her smile, and that Gene is happy now too. Mai could tell how bad Naru felt as he thought about his late brother, curling up to him and kissing his cheek.

They ignored the movie as they talk about any past relationships and about their families. They asked maybe some too personal questions, but neither made it awkward. In fact, they both made jokes about it. Teasing the other's inexperience in love and laughing when they get a reaction.

The time finally came for Naru to head home when Lin called asking where he was. They held a goodbye kiss for a solid minute before she open the door to let him out. He stopped, looking at the box that sat in front of the door.

"Oh, I forgot about this." The cat walked up, sniffing it and hissed at the box. "Oliver? What's wrong, kitty?" Naru's gaze focused on a specific label on the box and he took her hand.

"Leave it. Don't touch it." He gently brought her to him.

She nodded, holding his hand. Naru's eyes scanned the area, then the box as he knelt down to read the label. His eyes widened as he quickly stood. "Get back inside." He said sternly as Mai looked up at him.

"Why? It's just a pa- whoa!" He took her hand and pulled her back inside, closing the door and locking it. She blushed, looking at him. "What are you.."

"I don't trust that. I've ordered quite a few things online here before, and the delivery people always leave a 'sorry we missed you' letter if you didn't collect the package." He held her hand tightly as he thought.

"Maybe he was new?" Mai said awkwardly.

"Did you order something?"

"No, but my friends have been sending me gifts through the mail since I moved in last week."

He looked at her, thinking for another moment until he decided. "Got an extra futon?"

Mai's face went tomato red as she jumps back. "Whoa, that's just too much! I mean, we just barely started..you know and-"

He sighed, poking her forehead. "Idiot." She flinched, rubbing her head as she pouted. "I just don't trust that package, so I want to stay here and make sure you're safe."

She stares up at him, blushing. "What about Lin? Isn't his job to look after you?"

"He'll just have a night off." He shrugged.

She sighed, then nodded. "Okay. I'll go see if I have another futon." She walked to her closet and took out a pink one, smiling. "This is my only extra."

He smiled. "That'll be fine." Despite his pure intentions, thoughts still popped up in his head. _Damnit hormones.._

**6:20 pm**

They ate. Mai let Naru take a bath first. Her face on fire as her thoughts flooded of him. She shook her head, trying to distract herself with a movie as she curled up on her couch. She had already set up his futon next to hers because there isn't a lot or empty space. The thought of Naru..no, Oliver freaking Davis sleeping next to her sent her head spinning. She whined as the thoughts came back and she fell onto her side.

_Oliver..Davis.. _just his name is enough to make her smile. Closing her eyes, she remembered when she first met him. How she despised him at first because his personality was so overwhelming. She wondered if Gene hadn't appeared in her dreams, would she and Naru be where they are now? _Naru.._ she wondered how his family came up with that nickname. She smiled, thinking of the way she thought of it. _Naru the abrasive, the humorless, and the narcissist. _

She smelled something sweet, then felt a warmth on her lips. She slowly opened her eyes as she saw him pull away. He smirked as she jumped up and covered her mouth. She sighed and gently kicked his shoulder. "Thief."

He laughed, standing. He wore a towel on his head, his t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants she had given him. "Before you go take your bath, can you tell me why you have men's sweatpants?"

She looked away. "They're comfy, not to mention cheaper." She glanced up at him, his hair wet and out of his face. _Is he wearing glasses?_

"Really?" He smiled, drying off his hair a bit as she nods and gets up.

"I'll be back in a bit then." She goes to her closet and gets out her pajamas. He caught a glimpse of a small stack of panties, but looked away respectively as he cleared his throat and sat in the couch. His tea has long gone cold.

As she was taking her bath, he took the time to look around her apartment. It was a standard sized one and the layout was simple. As soon as you walk through the door, the kitchen is on the right. There is a small dining or living area, but it looks like she put a small table and chair by the wall in the kitchen. The bedroom is on the other side of the apartment, as well as the bathroom. The bedroom is separated by a thin traditional sliding door. There's a single window in the living room and he can only assume there's one in the bedroom as well.

Mai soon came out and stretched, smiling. Her pajamas were a t-shirt and shorts, her hair a knotted mess as she rubbed it dry. She looks at him and smiles. "You want anything before we go to bed?" She asked, opening her pantry. "I ha- oh. I was going to offer you cookies but I forgot that you don't like sweets."

He smiled. "I like you." She froze, then looked away blushed.

"I didn't know you were such a flirt." She munched on a cookie and handed him one as he walked over. He just shrugged, taking the cookie.

"I was half joking." He took a bite.

"Half." She echoed, turning away. "Jerk." She muttered.

He gently hugged her from behind. She flinched, thankful he couldn't see her face as he whispered "I'm your jerk."

She nodded, placing her hands on his arms. "Yeah." She turned around as he leaned and kissed her. He slowly pulled away smiling at her. She smiled back as they both walked towards the bedroom hand in hand.


	8. Chapter 8

Naru lays on his back, looking up at the ceiling as he thought to himself. The looming feeling of something being wrong haunted him.

_The masked man hasn't been found, the servents are being taken in for questioning and are awaiting judgment. Then there's that package.. _

He sat up, combing his fingers through his hair as he looks at Mai who slept on her futon next to him. She muttered some jibberish that even he couldn't understand, but saw that she was having some sort of nightmare as a tear ran across her cheek. He gently wiped it away, kissing her forehead and standing as quietly as he could.

The cat lifted its head away from Mai's to watch him, stretching before following him. He walked towards the front door, peering out the window at the package still in front of the door. He heard footsteps and flattened against the wall.

A figure walked by and stopped right next to the door. In the dim moonlight, Naru could see his face. He was an older man, not older than late 40's. He knelt down by the package, examining and fiddling with it. It suddenly shot open and sprayed something in the man's face. It seemed like a gas. The man fell backwards immediately, holding his face before passing out.

The cat hissed as Naru backed away when he started smelling it through the door. _Chloroform..._he made sure all the locks on the door were set and closed the curtains as he heard new footsteps. He quickly grabbed the cat and quietly went to Mai, trying to wake her.

-000-

Mai slowly opened her eyes as she felt pressure on her chest and light tapping on her face. She saw the cat sitting on her. She glanced around, the room was pitch black. She sat up as she rubbed her eyes and the cat jumped down next to her. "Naru..?" She places her hand down, but didn't feel her futon. This woke her up, fear slowly creeping around her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped, turning to see a familiar face. It took her a moment to distinguish who it was. "Gene..I thought you.."

"I did. But I..Thank you." He smiled happily at her. "I don't think I've seen Oliver smile as much as he did with you, or as easily. He's genuinely happy to be with you. Although, I wasn't expecting you two to hit it off so quick." He laughed.

She blushed, looking away. "N-neither did I..It was mostly him." The thought of their kiss sent flutters in her stomach and a shiver down her spine.

"We don't have very much time, I just wanted to thank you. And.." he smiled holding out his hand for her. She reached out and he placed something in her hand. "Give this to Naru. It's something very special."

She nods as she hugged him. "I wish you the best, Gene. Thank you for everything." Tears streamed down her face as he held her.

"No, thank you." He smiled, slowly wiping away her tears. He kissed her forehead as he took her hands. "Naru is lucky to have found you when he did, thank you for staying with him."

She looks up at him and smiles, nodding as she hugged him again. "I have to go now, I hope you and him stay happy." She held him tighter, nodding as the warmth of his hold started to fade.

**I love you..**

-000-

Mai is shaken awake as Naru whispered her name. She opened her eyes, tears flooded her sight as she looked up at him. Her hand clutching something. She slowly brought her hand to him and smiled sadly. He looked at her, then her hand as she opened it. "That's.." Naru started, gently taking the object from her hand. He smiled, running a finger across its edges. "He's such a liar."

She slowly sat up, wiping away one of his tears. "Are you okay?"

He leaned into her hand, smiling. "He told me he lost this years ago." He held a small brooch shaped like a shield. He put it in the sweatpants pocket, sitting next to her as the cat nuzzles between them.

He narrowed his eyes when he heard something, gesturing her to stay quiet. Mai scooted closer to Naru as he slowly got in front of her. The cat sensed a presence and let out a deep hiss, standing guard beside Mai.

A figure slowly approaches the sliding door. Naru's hand grabbed at Mai's tightly. He let out a high-pitched whistle and the figure froze and slowly disappeared. The cat made its way to the door, rubbing his head against it to try and open it. He barely succeeded as Naru got up and opened it, checking the apartment.

Mai was afraid to speak, but she wondered what Naru had just done. _Do spirits dislike high-pitched sounds? _The cat's ears twitched towards Mai, letting out a harsh meow as he lept beside her. They heard a shout of pain, and Naru immediately grabbed Mai as something tried to shake off the cat that had bitten into his arm.

Naru knelt in front of Mai as she clung to his arm. The figure managed the pry the cat from him, throwing it down as he looked at them. Lightning struck outside and revealed the masked man standing in front of them. But there's no sign that he actually made his way in here. Naru narrowed his eyes at him. "Why are you still here? You're supposed to be dead."

_Dead? _Mai clung to him tighter. This man is dead, yet he's there in front of them. He's following her, haunting her. _She killed him._

_But if he's dead, how did the cat manage to attack him? It doesn't make sense. How can a living being injure a ghost? The same way a ghost can hurt a living being. _

Naru smirked as he figured it out; someone sent Mai a guardian spirit in the form of an animal she loves. There's only a few people who know Mai's favorite animal _and _has the spiritual abilities capable of summoning a guardian. And he can narrow it down to two people: Lin and Himself.

The man just glared at them, mostly at Mai. She hid her face in Naru's sleeve, scared to look at him and to close her eyes. He started to make his way towards them, but the cat was able to attack him again. It shifted its shape into a bigger cat as Naru shielded her eyes.

They made their way out of the bedroom and sat on the couch as they heard the blood curdling screams of the man. Naru held her tightly, reassuring her as she trembled and mumbled in fear. He heard her say things along the lines of 'I killed him' or 'this is all my fault.'

He gently shushed her, rubbing her back as she cried into his chest. "I've got you...nothings going to hurt you, I promise." He felt himself on the verge of tears as he couldn't calm her down. _Why couldn't we have been like this before..why couldn't I just accept the fact that she's so important to me earlier? _He cursed himself as he held her.

The screaming soon came to a stop as a wave of heat hit them. The temperature had dropped without them even noticing. By this time, Mai had cried herself to sleep in his arms. The cat slowly came out of the bedroom, meowing as it scratched its ear and licking its paw.

Naru sighed, laying Mai across his lap as he called Lin to tell him what happened.

_I'm sorry..._


	9. Chapter 9

**So I was reading the character wiki for Naru, and it said that the author had intended for MaiXNaru to be cannon. I screamed so loud at this my dogs barked at me. I can die happy now.**

**-000000000000000000000-**

**Thursday, April 9**

**11:00 am**

"Mai, tea please." He said, flipping a page in his book.

"Okay." She put her pen down onto her desk and stood, walking towards the kitchen. The cat jumping onto her desk and pawing at the fake flowers in the corner. The blue poppy sat in frame on the other corner.

It's been about a week since the Mansion case, and things have gone back to normal. _Well, almost. _She smiled, lifting up her left hand and trying the open the cabinet above her. "Damnit, why'd monk have to re-organize this?" She stood on her toes, barely touching the handle as a hand reached just above hers and opened it. Grabbing the jar of tea leaves and handing it to her.

"Monk was right, you really are short." She turned and saw Naru standing beside her. She pouted, lightly punching his shoulder.

"Shut up, you and everyone else are just giants." She pried the jar open and scooped out a few spoonfuls of the leaves and put them into the mesh filter. Naru smiles, but it fades as he leaned against the counter.

"Mai?" She looked at him, tilting her head. "Are you happy here?" He averts his gaze. "Do..do you feel safe here? With me?"

She sighs, poking his cheek as she smiles. "Would I come back here if I didn't?"

He gave her a soft smile, gently holding her hand as he leaned down and kissed her. He pulled away, slowly walking out of the kitchen when Mai felt something cold on her hand. She looked down at her right arm and her face suddenly felt like it had been set on fire. A thin silver ring sat on her finger. She quickly turns around to say something but froze as she saw him standing by the door. He held up his right hand with a slight blush in his cheeks. He, too, had the ring on his hand.

They stared at each other for a moment before Naru spoke. "_I love you." _Mai flinched, she may know very little English but she sure as hell knew what that meant. Mai's face showed various emotions before it settled on pure happiness. Running to and hugging him, she cried into his chest words that she had said before but for the wrong person.

"I love you, too!"

**-00000000000000000000000-**

**To those who have given feedback on my story, should I continue with this and what do you think I should do as next? **

**Au-Naru has a sister who happens to be a famous singer and helps them out with a case.**

**Au-Mischievous Kiss X Ghost Hunt. (Mischievous Kiss is an older anime where a girl confessed her feelings to the most popular boy in school, but gets rejected very harshly. Soon after, her house is destroyed in an earthquake and they are invited to stay at her father's friend's house. Which, unfortunately, is the house of the boy she confessed to.)**

**Or you guys can make some suggestions; I'd love to hear them! **

**Stay beautiful!**


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